The present invention relates to a multifunctional processing apparatus and method for controlling the operations of exercising a plural number of functions. More particularly, the invention relates to a multifunctional processing apparatus and method used for a multifunctional digital machine having copy, printer and facsimile functions.
A multifunctional digital machine is known which is constructed on the basis of a digital copying machine having a copy function, and has additional functions of printer and facsimile machine (as disclosed in, for example, the Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. Hei 5-75767, Hei 5-75769, and Hei 6-6540). The multifunctional digital machine usually uses a multifunctional processing apparatus for controlling the operations of exercising a multiple of functions of copy, printer and facsimile.
In the conventional multifunctional processing apparatus, as shown in FIG. 7, the operations of exercising those functions are controlled in a manner that a single CPU (central processing unit) executes a copy control program 52 to control the operations of exercising the copy function, a printer control program 53 to control the operation of exercising the printer function, or a facsimile function to control the operation of exercising the facsimile function.
The multifunctional processing apparatus of FIG. 7 controls the operations of exercising those functions by use of one CPU. Because of this, in a situation where the plural controls are competitive, a time divisional processing needs to be used for those controls. This makes it difficult to process the controls at high speed.
Another conventional multifunctional processing apparatus is illustrated in FIG. 8. In the apparatus, control units 61 to 63 perform their own controls, respectively. Therefore, in the case where plural controls are competitive, these controls may be processed in a parallel manner. Therefore, a quick control processing is realized. However, the following problem arises in the multifunctional processing apparatus. The CPUs or the control units 61 to 63 are used for the controls of the respective functions, respectively. To construct a multifunctional digital machine capable of handling the plural number of functions, the plural number of control units 61 to 63 each including a CPU are essential. This leads to complexity of the machine construction and makes it impossible to realize an inexpensive multifunctional digital machine.